Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to speak to Bill C-19, the Canada Labour Code part I amendments.
My colleagues have pointed out to the House some of the concerns we have as a party about the direction in which the bill is going. I echo those concerns.
I cannot understand how a government with clear conscience could take away individual rights as guaranteed under the charter. We have heard from my hon. colleague from West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast his concern about the sharing of names, addresses and phone numbers without the permission of individuals. I do not know if people can understand and appreciate how serious a violation that is of the Privacy Act.
We have had many conversations with the privacy commissioner on how difficult it is to protect the rights of individuals. When we see a government deliberately bringing in legislation that challenges one of its laws, in this case the Privacy Act, we have to wonder in what direction it is going.
Canadians should have the opportunity to understand that the government is washing over issues. It is changing the name of the Canada Labour Relations Board. It is becoming the Canada Industrial Relations Board. It is changing the term of the chair and the vice-chairs from 10 years to 5 years.
We have seen what happens when the government appoints people to such positions for one year or ten years and then tries to remove them because they are not doing the job properly or they are not being accountable.
This board will not be accountable to anybody. Somebody will be replacing Ted Weatherill. I do not know whether members have already forgotten about this individual who thought absolutely nothing of spending $700 for a dinner for two in Paris. That is the kind of judgment that will be leading this board. I understand he will be replaced by somebody who is more frugal, who understands that it is not his money but the taxpayer's money. Hopefully he will show greater leadership.
When a government appoints six permanent members and as many part time members as cabinet feels is necessary, it frightens me and it frightens Canadians. We have seen organizations like the parole board and the refugee review board that have expanded on patronage appointments. These boards are quasi-judicial and are not accountable to anybody. We cannot remove the appointed people unless there is criminal activity or something as great as that. They cannot be removed because they are incapable or incompetent to do the job.
It is up to cabinet to determine how many of these people are necessary. This removes from the House of Commons any ability to hold people on these boards accountable to Canadian taxpayers who are paying their salaries. In many cases we are talking about substantial salaries. We are not talking about a $7 per hour minimum wage.
It concerns me how the government continues a practice I have seen over the last four or five years of removing responsibility from the elected body, the House of Commons, and placing it in the hands of the executive body of government. By placing control and policy making in the executive branch of government, it is removing governance from the people of Canada. It is a very dangerous practice which the government continues to carry on.
If Canadians knew the degree to which this was occurring they would be very concerned to see that the governance of the country is being removed from elected individuals in the House of Commons who are accountable to the people, to a group of people who sit on the front bench and are not accountable to anybody.
That is another concern I have with this legislation, along with many others we have seen passed by the Liberal government. It goes in the wrong direction.
Another issue that causes me great concern is that the Canada Industrial Relations Board can certify a union without the support of the majority of employees. It flies in the face of democracy when a board, which is out of reach of anybody, can arbitrarily go into a business and declare there will be a union even though the majority of the employees do not want it. That is arrogance at the very worst.
I do not think Canadians appreciate that direction from the government. It is unconscionable to believe that the democratic principle of the majority of people making decisions that affect their livelihood is not being respected.
The government is throwing the weight of the executive branch over the elected branch, the elected House of Commons. The government is not respecting the privacy rights of every Canadian. The government does not support the democratic principle of the majority making decisions. What else will we see from the government? Those are the basics of a democracy. The government does not show an appreciation for that. Nor does it have any respect for that democratic process and principle.
What do we have in this piece of legislation? We have a situation where an individual can belong to a company. Maybe 30% of the employees decide they want to unionize for whatever reasons, perhaps because they have been pressured by individuals who know their addresses and phone numbers. The next thing we find is that the company has closed and moved out of town like we saw in Montreal not long ago. That takes jobs out of this country.
Maybe I got the message wrong, but I thought the government was concerned about jobs for Canadians. When a government starts bringing in legislation that drives the business community out of the country, the people who provide the jobs for young and old Canadians, what is the point?
If the government continually brings in legislation that forces the business community, either through legislative policies that interfere with the ability to operate a business in a profitable manner or through overtaxation, God knows how many business people such as the one I have spoken to over the years prior to the election, will actually leave Canada and go to the United States of America or even to South America.
If the government is intent on creating jobs and creating an environment to encourage business, to encourage investment and to encourage the creation of jobs, it is certainly going in the wrong direction. The government had better take another look at the legislation. It had better make some amendments to it or maybe even scrap it. I suggest it should do it tomorrow rather than leave it any longer.